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Hi everyone,

With Accreditation just around the corner, I would like to remind everyone about UHN's Positive Patient Identification Policy which has recently been updated. Positive patient identification is crucial so we can correctly identify a patient and provide them with the correct test, procedure, ect. If the information is incorrect or missing then this could delay the patient's care or treatment plan.

We use two unique identifiers: for inpatients, we use the patient's full name and medical record number (MRN) and for ambulatory, we use the patient's full name and MRN (or date-of-birth if MRN is not known). Every staff person who comes into contact with a patient is required to check these identifiers to ensure they have the correct patient, even if they feel they know the patient.

Examples of when patient identification should be checked include:

  • ​At reception
  • Prior to medication administration
  • When delivering meals
  • Prior to applying a label to a blood tube or specimen collection tube
  • Prior to transporting the patient
  • Prior to conducting a test or procedure
  • Before any service, etc.​

Patient safety is everyone's responsibility at UHN. This is just one way that staff can assist us in becoming the safest hospital in Canada.

Bob
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